A new exhibition at the National Museum of American Illustration in Rhode Island explores how America’s most celebrated illustrators of the early 20th century have shaped the visual language of modern-day art. From the late-19th century to the middle of the 20th century, the Golden Age of Illustration gave us some of the most iconic images in American history, with works by such esteemed names as Norman Rockwell, N.C. Wyeth, Maxfield Parrish, J.C. Leyendecker, Howard Pyle, Jessie Willcox Smith and more. The upcoming exhibition celebrates this period by pairing historic 20th-century artists with artists working today.
Dale Terbush, Can You Keep A Secret Place?, acrylic on canvas, 20 x 16 in.
Maxfield Parrish (1870-1966), Road to the Valley (Valley of Enchantment), 1943, oil on panel, 23 x 18½ in. Brown & Bigelow calendar, 1946.
Parrish is paired with painter Dale Terbush; Rockwell with comedic parody artist Tim McDavid; and Leyendecker and Constantin Alajalov with three-dimensional pop artist Charles Fazzino.
“I was influenced by the great masters of the Renaissance, but the painters of the Gilded Age had a more direct impact on my style, most notably Norman Rockwell, Thomas Moran, Carl Rungius and Phillip Goodwin,” says McDavid. The artist has reimagined several iconic works by Rockwell for the upcoming museum show, including Rockwell’s 1954 Saturday Evening Post cover Breaking Home Ties; the 1939 Post cover The Jester; as well as the 1943 U.S. War Bonds poster, Freedom of Speech. “I was influenced by the covers of Saturday Evening Postgrowing up, and mimicked the style of Norman Rockwell to create characters in humorous situations,” McDavid adds.
J.C. Leyendecker (1870-1951), Statue of Liberty, 1934, oil on canvas, 32 x 25 in., signed lower right. Saturday Evening Post, July 7, 1934 cover.
“By highlighting the direct lineage from the illustrators of the past to artists working today, this exhibition reveals how illustration has remained a powerful cultural force across generations,” the museum notes. “It’s a dynamic visual dialogue between then and now—between the artists who defined American identity and those who continue to interpret it for a new era.”
Norman Rockwell (1894-1978), Breaking Home Ties, 1954, oil on canvas, 45⅞ x 44⅞ in. Saturday Evening Post, September 25, 1954 cover.
Tim McDavid, Breaking Home Ties Parody, oil on canvas, 36 x 36 in.
Golden Age Influencers will be hosted in partnership with the American Illustrators Gallery and is open by appointment through October 3. —
Golden Age Influencers
Through October 3, 2025
National Museum of American Illustration
492 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI 02840
(401) 851-8949
www.americanillustration.org
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